Page 57 of Save Me

“What? What did I say?”

“Just like…I don’t know,” she said as she realized she wasn’t making any sense.

“All I meant was that with him being a tattoo artist, it’s no wonder he’s at a convention,” Arianna reasoned. “Ooh! Do you think he’s actually doing tattoos while he’s there or is he just scoping things out? I have no idea how these things go or if that’s even a thing, but who knows, right?”

“Wait…what?”

Her sister laughed. “What is happening right now? Why are you acting all weird?”

“I’m not…I’m not acting weird,” she argued. “You’re acting weird!”

“Okay, clearly you are missing your man because you’re a little delirious. Why didn’t you just go with him?”

“He said he was going to be busy the whole time and he was doing a speaking thing,” she explained. “He never mentioned…you know…tattooing anyone.”

Or tattooing at all, the bastard.

Not that it mattered and suddenly things started to make sense, but…why wouldn’t he just tell her what he did for a living? Why keep it such a secret?

“I have to admit, Ry. When you first said you were dating Ryker, I thought for sure it was just to piss mom off. Then when Will told me Ryker’s a tattoo artist, I figured that just upped the ante for antagonizing her. But after watching the two of you together at dinner last weekend, it was so obvious that the two of you are crazy about each other.” She sighed dreamily. “He’s so different from every other guy you’ve ever dated—like ever—and maybe that’s what you needed. Someone different.”

Ryleigh felt like she was going to be sick. So many thoughts were swirling in her head and listening to her sister wax poetic about the wonders of love just wasn’t going to help.

“Listen, Ari, I need to go. Tell Tessa I said hey and let’s try to get together one night next week—maybe the three of us for dinner one night?”

“I love that! I’ll see what her schedule’s like.”

“Yeah, um…great…”

“Are you sure you’re okay? You sound funny.”

“I’m fine. Really. I just…I think I’m going to go and surprise Ryker.”

“Yay! I love that! Oh, Ry, he’s so good for you! This makes me so happy!”

And before she could get too carried away, Ryleigh quickly cut her off and hung up. Tossing her phone aside, she stormed into her office and quickly did a Google search on tattoo artists with the name Ryker.

Groaning, she wanted to smack herself in the head. “How do I seriously not know his last name? What is wrong with me?” Then she remembered that first night—the one when he’d given her a ride to her apartment.

“I don’t even know your name.”

“What are you talking about? You know my name.”

“No, I know part of your name. There’s got to be more to it than just Ryker.”

Shaking his head, he said, “Nope.”

“Seriously?” she deadpanned. “So that’s it. Just Ryker. No last name?”

“Maybe that is my last name,” he countered.

“And your first name?”

He grinned. “Just one name.”

“So…you’reRykerRyker?” she asked with one brow perfectly raised.

“No, just the one name. You know, like Adele, Cher or Madonna.”

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